Sunday Stash #81 – It Could Get Sticky

by Molli Sparkles ·
Published June 22, 2014
· Updated October 24, 2015

Today’s Sunday Stash is being hosted by Handmade by Mary Emmens, a long time member of the Glitterati. She’s been making all sorts of Carolyn Friedlander shirts for the All Shirt Swap, and they are amazing! So head there for the linkup, a giveaway, and maybe to steal the shirt off her back!

My stash contribution this week may look insignificant, but I can already tell, it could have a really big impact. Y’all know I love working with squares, especially small squares. Well, my good friend Paul Burega from my Men Who Quilt group took notice and started telling me about gridded fusible interfacing (you can check out his corresponding projects here). To be honest, I’ve only ever used interfacing once, (for a selvage spider web bee block), so my knowledge is limited. It’s true, I don’t know everything! Paul was extremely generous though and sent me a care package of a variety of different types to try out. Besos to you! Mwah! Now if I don’t get it all stuck to the ironing board (or me), this could be life changing!

Do you have experience with the stuff? What are your tips and tricks? Did your life change in the most beautiful and unexpected way? Let me know all about it in the comments.

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19 Responses

Yes used it. Like it? Not sure. Tips: no draft when you are placing your squares, make sure they are right side up and perfect, don't do row by row, lay out the whole block, make sure your seams are perfect (no hassle for you on that score) and when you trim it is a teeny tiny bee's d@#k you are taking off…

Remember to "press" .. .not "iron"Get an ironing board/area thats as large as the interfacing . . .so it all stays flat. Line them all up ON the board .. so you're not transferring it across the room or whatever, . . .but hey Molli, you aint that stupid! so ignore me!

My favourite thing for working with fusible is a Teflon/appliqué pressing sheet. Saves your ironing board & your iron. Pretty sure I bought mine from Spotlight after getting fusible web stuck on my brand new iron, nearly cried but it did come off. I often fold mine over small areas so it's protecting top and bottom but might get another.

I have a scrap from an old ironing board cover that I use when pressing interfacing, plus I always use a pressing cloth, and therefore I have no worries about excess interfacing. Trust me though, before that, I have put it on upside down and stuck it to my iron….

I haven't seen the gridded kind, though I do use interfacing more than I ever thought I would. I'd always found applique fussy and dated, but lo and behold, now that I've jumped back in to sewing and quilting, I keep dreaming up raw edge ideas and find the function of interfacing for it so helpful. Interested to see what you can accomplish with the grid – keep us posted, Molli.

I found a few of the many projects that I used the fusible grid with, and posted them on my blog: http://dying2quilt.blogspot.com/2014/06/fusible-grid-1.html . The fusible grid worked great when working with my cub scouts to make a quilt – they were able to design patterns and lay them out using pre-cut square fabrics.

I was wandering around and came upon the Bloom Bloom Bow QAL that started in March, the only thing I could find was the 1st post. Where can I find the rest so I can make it? Thanking you in advance.Jeri Niksich oldtisme@aol.com

I love me some interfacing….mostly for dressmaking and bag making though! I have only used it once for quilting and that was for a postage stamp block……my biggest tip for that is that it shrunk considerably in one direction but not the other – so ended up with a not-square block!If you ever move on to making bags (which I'm sure inevitably you will!) then I have discovered a fabulous interfacing from Spotlight which is a woven variety. It is flimsy and holey (sp?) but is not stiff like the regular ones (giggling). I find the stiff ones (giggling again) can sometimes leave you will a textured surface on the fabric which is certainly not ideal. Anywho – you know where I am if you ever want to fire away questions about whipping up a frock with interfacing 😉

As far a pre-washing the fabric: I have tried it both ways several times, and prefer to use fusible interfacing on pre-washed fabric the best. Sometimes, when I use it on non-washed fabric, it does not adhere properly and can look funky after washing the finished project.

I use a big tea towel as a pressing cloth.

Make sure there are no stray fabric bits or thread strands on the back side of the fabric or interfacing before using it. Otherwise, they get fused into it and that really sucks.

Pressing interfacing, versus ironing, gives the best result to keep things from stretching out.

READ THE INSTRUCTIONS! Seriously, I teach bag making classes and am amazed and horrified at the same time at how people try to apply interfacing, and then complain that it doesn't work (tip, it needs more than a 2 second swipe of the iron ;o) )

The basic premise is:

Use a damp cloth between the iron and interfacing when applying – I use a hanky, but anything along those lines would work

Leave the iron in one place for the amount of time stated on the interfacing/packaging, then lift and place down again on an unfused bit, and repeat. Many of the ones I use have a 10-15 second timing on them, this is not a quick job, but you really need to do this for the glue to set properly

If you have interfacing overhanging fabric, it will stick to the ironing board, so have greaseproof paper or something like that round the edges if you're worried, otherwise the ironing board itself will be just fine

Just in case, get hold of hot iron cleaner, I think you can work out why ;o)

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